Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Piece
by x-OmgItsRach-x
Summary: TJ loves Spinelli, but there's just one problem- she's getting married to another guy. Does Spinelli feel the same way, and can TJ tell Spinelli how he feels before it's too late?
1. Trailer

TRAILER:

TRAILER:

**They're best friends.**

_(Shows teenage Spinelli and TJ chasing each other around a park.)_

**But he wants to be more than just a friend to her.**

Gretchen: Do you love Spinelli?

TJ: Yes. From the bottom of my heart.

**There's only one problem, though…**

Teenage Spinelli: This is Byron…

_(Shows teenage Spinelli and Byron kissing.)_

Teenage Byron: I'm Ashley's boyfriend.

**Spinelli is marrying another guy.**

Byron: We are getting married.

_(Shows Spinelli walking down the aisle.)_

**But she's not as happy as she thought she'd be…**

Byron: Life is unfair, Ashley. Deal with it.

_(Shows Spinelli crying.)_

**And now, Spinelli is left with a tough decision…**

**Her head?**

_(Shows Spinelli at a restaurant with Byron and both their parents.)_

**Or her heart?**

_(Shows Spinelli hugging TJ.)_

**And can TJ confess his feelings for Spinelli before it's too late?  
**

Vicar: If anyone knows of any reason why these two should not be wed, you should speak now or forever hold your piece.

**Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Piece**

**Coming soon to a computer screen near you…**

(A/N- I KNOW this came out after I finished the actual story. But I just thought it would be fun to do. P)


	2. Sundays At Kelso's

Well, here's my new story: Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Piece

**Well, here's my new story: Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Piece. This is just to say please R&R, I don't own Recess or the characters, I just own Byron, and the radio station at the start which I made up. Again, please R&R. Enjoy.**

Sundays At Kelsos

"Hey, this is Sunshine FM, I'm Kevin Baxter, and you're waking up to a bright Sunday morning."

Thirteen-year-old TJ Detweiler smiled as soon as the presenter, Kevin Baxter, said the word 'Sunday'. Sunday was his favourite day of the week. Because Sundays were like stepping back into a time machine. Like reliving the old days. On Sundays, him and his five best elementary school friends, met up in Kelso's, the place where they often went together after school.

Now they were all in middle school, he didn't really talk to Gretchen, Gus, Mikey and Vince that much. It was inevitable really. They met new people, they liked different things. Gretchen became captain of the scholastic team, Gus stayed wimpy and got some more wimpy new friends, Mikey carried on writing poetry and singing but also got heavily involved with the drama club. He'd starred in a few school musicals because he was a talented singer, dancer and actor, but he mostly wrote the musicals. And Vince was captain of the basketball team, which made him the most popular guy in school- he didn't have that much time for TJ at school.

But TJ wasn't really that bothered, because he had stayed best friends with one of their gang- the one that mattered to him more than any of the others.

Spinelli.

TJ and Spinelli were best friends. The class clown and the tough, tomboy girl. They walked to and from school together. They sat together at lunch and in classes. They were there for each other no matter what.

And everyone thought they were dating.

TJ must have told about twenty people every day that he and Spinelli weren't an item. But what no one knew was how much it hurt TJ to say that.

The truth was, he'd been in love with her since kindergarten.

TJ arrived at Kelso's to find Gretchen, Gus, Mikey and Vince all sitting down at a table together, chatting.

"Hey, guys! Where's Spinelli?" TJ asked.

"I dunno. You're the one who lives like, three houses down from her." Gus pointed out.

"I called at her house and she wasn't home." TJ said.

"Maybe she can't make it," Gretchen said.

"What?! Spinelli wouldn't miss one of our Sunday get-togethers for the _world_!" TJ said. "And even if she couldn't make it, she would have told me. She tells me everything."

But TJ didn't know that there was something his best friend hadn't told him.

But he was about to find out.

At that very moment, Spinelli walked in… with a guy.

And they were holding hands.

Spinelli pointed at their table. "That's my friends, over there," she told the guy, then dragged him over.

"Hey, guys." Spinelli said sheepishly, avoiding TJ's gaze. "Um… this is Byron…" She said, gesturing to the guy she was with. He was tall and skinny, with blond hair styled into a quiff, and was wearing designer clothes. There was something about him that TJ didn't like. Was it the hungry look in his eyes when he looked at Spinelli? Was it how he looked down his nose at the rest of the group? Or was it-

"I'm Ashley's boyfriend," Byron said, grinning smugly.

TJ felt an unfamiliar emotion bubbling up inside of him: something he recognised as hatred. Hatred for Byron. How could _he_ be Spinelli's boyfriend? No way was he good enough for her. At all. She could do so much better.

_Yeah,_ TJ thought. _She could be with me._


	3. Torture

It was torture for TJ having to put up with Byron for two whole hours

Torture

It was torture for TJ having to put up with Byron for two whole hours. Watching him put his arm around Spinelli and call him 'his little princess' made him sick. Spinelli wasn't 'his'.

TJ hated the way Byron bragged about everything, too- from his designer clothes to how popular he was at Long Lane Middle School, the school he went to. Until he couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going home," TJ said. "I have some- um- homework to do."

His five friends frowned at him.

"Teej, since when do _you_ do homework?" Vince said.

TJ shrugged. "I guess I need to improve my grades. Bye, guys." TJ said, and he was out of there quicker than a bolt of lightning.

All night, TJ couldn't get the image of Spinelli resting her head on Byron's shoulder while he spoon fed her ice-cream out of his head. TJ _despised _Byron. He couldn't see at all what Spinelli saw in him.

What did Byron have that he didn't have? Why did Spinelli like him so much anyway? Why couldn't Spinelli like him?

TJ sighed. He climbed into his bed and opened a _Senior Fusion_ comic book. But even though _Senior Fusion_ was his favourite comic book of all-time, he still couldn't focus on it. He couldn't stop thinking of Spinelli.

TJ threw the comic onto the floor in frustration and picked up his laptop. He signed onto a chatroom and his heart started racing, Spinelli was online.

**ToughTomboy:** Hey Teej, why'd you leave Kelso's early?

**SeniorFusionRocks: **I told you. If you weren't listening, that's not my problem.

**ToughTomboy: **Alright, quit biting my head off!

**SeniorFusionRocks: **I wasn't biting your head off! It's just you being a drama queen!

**ToughTomboy: **ME being a drama queen?

**BigGuy: **Why the arguments? Why the conflict? Why the cruel words?

**ScienceGirl: **Mikey's right. There has been little point to the argument you just shared.

**Basketball4ever: **Yeah, so quit it!

**SeniorFusionRocks: **OK. Sorry, Spin. Guess I was a bit out of order. Hi Mikey, hi Gretchen, hi Vince.

**ToughTomboy: **It's OK Teej. I'm sorry too.

**BigGuy: **Where's Gus?

_(NothingSpecialJustGus has just signed in.)_

**ToughTomboy: **Speak of the devil!

_(NothingSpecialJustGus has been added to the conversation.)_

**NothingSpecialJustGus: **Hey guys!!

**Basketball4ever: **Yo Gus!

**NothingSpecialJustGus: **What you all doin'?

**ScienceGirl: **Talking to you guys, and playing chess.

**ToughTomboy: **Talking to you guys and watching wrestling.

**SeniorFusionRocks: **I'm just talking to you guys. I can't do two things at once. I'm not a woman.

**NothingSpecialJustGus: **I sure hope not!

**Basketball4ever: **Lol.

**ToughTomboy: **Lol.

**BigGuy: **Once again, TJ has amused us all.

**ToughTomboy: **OMG!!

**NothingSpecialJustGus: **What?!

**ToughTomboy: **Byron's online!!

_Honestly,_ thought TJ, _anyone would think he was the president or something._

**NothingSpecialJustGus: **You mean the guy who was at Kelso's with us earlier?

**ToughTomboy: **Yeah! Can I add him to the conversation?

**ScienceGirl: **Of course you can!

_(ImTheBest has been added to the conversation.)_

**ImTheBest: **Ashley?

**ToughTomboy: **Hi Byron!!

**ImTheBest: **Oh. Hi Ashley!! x

**SeniorFusionRocks: **It's Spinelli.

**ToughTomboy: **I think I can speak for myself, TJ.

**ImTheBest: **Who are all these people?

**ToughTomboy: **My old friends. The ones we were hanging out with earlier, at Kelso's.

**ImTheBest: **Oh, right.

**ImTheBest: **I love you, Ashley. 3 xxxxxxx

**ToughTomboy: **I love you MORE, Byron! 3 xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**ImTheBest: **No, I love you WAY MORE!! 3 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**SeniorFusionRocks: **Um… I gotta go.

**ImTheBest: **Don't be a stranger.

_I wouldn't want to go anywhere near _you_,_ TJ thought. _And I'm not too happy about you going near Spinelli either._

_(SeniorFusionRocks has signed out.)_


	4. Just Friends

"Spin, you nearly ready

Just Friends

"Spin, you nearly ready?"

"Just wait, will you Teej?"

"We're gonna be late! I've been waiting ten minutes already!"

Spinelli came down the stairs looking beautiful. Well, to TJ she looked beautiful every day, but her beauty was mainly effortless. Spinelli was a different kind of girl to all the others- she didn't care what she looked like, she didn't care about fashion, she didn't wear makeup. She couldn't be bothered with it.

But now, she was wearing a stylish outfit, loads of makeup and had put her hair into a fancy updo thing.

It was about eight or nine months since Spinelli and Byron started going out- TJ didn't know, but Spinelli knew the exact date. Sadly, they were still together. But more importantly than that- it was their first day of high school.

"Sorry about that. I had to change my outfit about seven times to get it right." Spinelli said.

"You never used to care about what you wore," TJ pointed out.

"I'm growing up, TJ. Things change." Spinelli said.

"But Spin- you never wear makeup."

"I do now. Byron's going to the same high school as us. I want to look my best. I don't want him to flirt with the Ashleys," Spinelli said, and she was looking concerned.

"Why would he flirt with any other girl? He's with you. He wouldn't need to," TJ said. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he wished he'd never said them. He blushed, his face the same colour as his back-to-front red baseball cap which he always wore.

"Um- thanks Teej," Spinelli said, smiling. This time last year she would have given anything for TJ to say that to her.

But things were different now.

"Well- you look great, anyway," TJ said, blushing again.

"Thanks. Not so bad yourself," Spinelli said shyly, blushing too.

TJ smiled. Spinelli never blushed in Byron's presence. He'd never seen her blush before, either.

They set off together, chatting about things, when Spinelli wobbled slightly and fell over.

"Careful, Spin! Are you alright?" TJ asked, concerned. He held out his hand to help Spinelli up. Spinelli reached out her tiny hand and interlaced her fingers with TJ's. TJ felt the sparks he got every time he and Spinelli touched, he smiled to himself, it was the best feeling in the world.

They were just staring into each others' eyes for a moment, getting lost in each other, when TJ pulled Spinelli up.

"Why did you fall? You're not drunk are you?"

"Course not!"

It was then TJ noticed Spinelli's footwear- shoes with heels that had to be about six inches.

"It's those heels, isn't it? They're ridiculously high! You could hurt yourself!"

"Teej, you sound like my mom. I'm _fine_."

"But, why"-

"Byron wants me to be more feminine."

"If Byron wanted you to jump off a cliff, would you?"

Spinelli's eyes sparked with anger. Her lip quivered.

"You don't understand, TJ. And you never will."

Spinelli stormed off, leaving a stunned TJ behind her.

"Wait up, Spinelli!"

Spinelli turned around.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be," Spinelli said in a firm tone of voice.

"Princess!"

Spinelli's face changed instantly from angry to happy. "Sweetie!" She said in a totally different tone of voice. She and Byron kissed, full on the lips. TJ could never remember feeling so jealous. He had once kissed Spinelli's lips, the first to do so.

_TJ and Spinelli stood, staring at each other. Waiting, as what seemed like millions of eager eyes were staring at _them_, waiting too. _

_Then, TJ parted his lips slightly, and Spinelli moved in closer. Closer than they'd ever been before._

_As their lips touched, TJ felt a weird sensation- his lips felt like they were having electric shocks, and he felt warm and tingly inside. He couldn't believe it- he had kissed Spinelli and Spinelli was kissing back. Could it be that now, after all this time, they would finally be more than just best friends?_

_They came apart. TJ didn't want to talk first. He loved the kiss, but what if he said so and Spinelli thought it was disgusting?_

_In the end, he decided to lie. "That was disgusting!" The best friends exclaimed simultaneously, miming being sick. TJ laughed, but inside, his heart was breaking. He and Spinelli were still friends. But it looked like that was all it ever would be._


	5. TJ's Mistake

TJ's Mistake

It was a perfect Saturday afternoon. It wasn't the clear blue sky, the chirping birds or the golden sunlight that made it perfect. Even it had been cold, raining and dark, it still would have been perfect for TJ. Why? Because he was with Spinelli, and Spinelli made everything perfect.

"Comin' your way, Teej!" Spinelli yelled.

TJ opened his mouth wide, and Spinelli threw a grape. It landed in TJ's open mouth and TJ ate it. Spinelli laughed, TJ too smiled.

"I love this game!" TJ said, once he'd eaten the grape. "Alright, your turn."

TJ took a grape and threw it at Spinelli. It missed her mouth completely and hit her on the head.

"I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR THIS, THEODORE!!" Spinelli yelled, getting up off the picnic rug to chase TJ round the park. The two teenagers ran around happily, laughing. Spinelli caught up to TJ and jumped onto his back, TJ wobbled and they both tumbled down to the grass, TJ landing on top of Spinelli. The pair still laughed, but the laughter faded, and was replaced with TJ and Spinelli looking deeply into each others' eyes.

Before TJ knew what he was doing, he leaned in to kiss Spinelli.

"Get away from me!" Spinelli screamed. TJ got up off Spinelli, feeling more awkward than he'd ever done in his life.

Spinelli stepped back away from TJ. "How dare you!" She screamed. "HOW DARE YOU!!"

"Spin- I'm sorry- please"-

"I HAVE A BOYFRIEND! YOU KNOW THAT!"

"I'm sorry- really, I am"-

"SORRY'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH, TJ! YOU KEEP SAYING YOU'RE SORRY BUT YOU NEVER CHANGE!! YOU'RE JUST THE SAME DUMB JERK YOU ALWAYS WERE!!"

"Please… it was an accident…"

"An accident? You tried to kiss me, TJ! That's no accident!"

"I'm sorry"-

"STOP SAYING YOU'RE SORRY!!" Spinelli screamed. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF _YOU_! EVER SINCE I STARTED GOING OUT WITH BYRON YOU HAVE BEEN THE MOST ANNOYING, INTERFERING LITTLE JERK, ACTING LIKE YOU OWN ME"-

"I was trying to protect you! You're like a sister to me, Spinelli"-

"So you'd try and kiss your sister."

"No! I don't mean that! Spinelli, it just happened! I dunno how it happened, it just did!"

"Yeah. Some things do 'just happen', TJ." Spinelli said. "Like this, for instance."

She stepped forward and slapped him, hard in the face. TJ couldn't understand why she was being so mean. It wasn't like he was Byron and he'd cheated on her or something. He sighed, this time five minutes ago they were best friends, running around the park like lunatics, screaming with laughter. If only he'd never tried to kiss her. It had ruined everything.

"Just leave me alone from now on, TJ. I never wanna see you again." Spinelli said.

She turned and walked away from TJ forever. He shouted after her but she ignored him. A tear fell down her cheek. She might have been tough but she couldn't have stopped it. She wished she could have gone back. But she couldn't go back. Because if she went back, he might try to kiss her again. And she might kiss back and she might fall in love with him.

Spinelli knew she couldn't let that happen. She had to get TJ out of her life forever. Because she knew full well she couldn't have him.


	6. Engagement Party

Engagement Party

"Hey, this is Sunshine FM, I'm Jason Smith, and you're waking up to a rainy Sunday morning."

TJ Detweiler, now an adult, got out of his bed. He showered and got dressed into a casual T-Shirt, jeans, socks that didn't match and a back-to-front red baseball cap. The cap that was one of the reasons why he was famous.

TJ was now a stand-up comedian. He lived in a different town- he moved out of where he used to live after the 'incident' with Spinelli. Spinelli got her wish- she never saw TJ again. But it didn't mean that TJ never thought about her.

TJ hadn't spoken to any of the rest of the gang, either- though he'd heard a lot about how they were doing. He hadn't heard from or about Gus, but Vince, Mikey and Gretchen were famous. Vince was a pro basketballer and Mikey had starred in Broadway shows, but it was Gretchen everyone was talking about- because Gretchen had invented a time machine- so, naturally, she was a multi-millionaire.

TJ was watching cartoons- he'd somehow never outgrown them- when his phone began to ring.

TJ's heart leapt just as it did every time the phone rang. He raced to answer it. "Hi, this is TJ," he said, but it wasn't Spinelli.

"Hey TJ!" A low voice he didn't recognise said.

"Um… hi. Who is this, please?"

"Gus."

TJ's jaw dropped.

"Gus _Griswold?_"

"That's me!"

"Wow. When did your voice break, Gus?"

"Junior year. I was getting kinda worried because I was sixteen and I'd gotten all tall and muscular and everything, but I was still stuck with the wimpy kid voice. Luckily I don't sound so wimpy anymore," Gus chuckled.

"Yeah."

"Gustav, get to the point," a familiar voice said in the background.

"You listening in on my phone calls again?" Gus said.

"Hey, someone's gotta check up on you. Tell TJ I said hi."

"Will do. TJ, Gretchen says hi."

"Hi, Gretchen."

"Alright, Gretchen, I'm getting to the point!" Gus said. "Anyway Teej, I was just calling to ask you if you're busy on Saturday night."

"No, why?"

"Good! Because it's me and Gretchen's engagement party."

TJ's jaw dropped a second time.

"You and Gretchen are _engaged_?"

"Ah-huh."

"When did you start dating?"

"Junior year. Everything happened in junior year. Too bad you weren't there, Teej. We missed you. Where'd you go?"

"My dad got transferred to another town, it was kinda last minute," TJ said. It was the very day things had gone wrong with Spinelli. It was quite lucky it happened when it happened- TJ didn't want to face the wrath of Spinelli and Byron. But maybe if it had been a day sooner, things would be fine with Spinelli again.

"Well, I gotta go now TJ, but see you Saturday!"

"Yeah. Nice talking to you, Gus. Bye."

It was Saturday- the day of Gus and Gretchen's engagement party. TJ parked his car outside their huge house. It was impressive, TJ thought, but then again, it was paid for by the woman who invented the world's first time machine. Gus and Gretchen must have been rolling in it.

TJ knocked on the door and the inventor of the time machine herself answered it. Gretchen was pretty much the same as usual and this reassured TJ. He smiled brightly.

"Gretchen! I haven't seen you in years! Well- in person. I've seen you on the news and stuff."

"Me too," Gretchen said, giving TJ a hug. "Thank you for coming."

"Whoa, no way!" Another familiar voice said, and there was Vince, six foot one, lean, fit, muscular, but the same old Vince. "It's TJ!"

"Ah, sweet reunions with childhood friends!" Mikey looked- and talked- exactly the same as he always did. But when TJ saw Gus in person, he was stunned.

Gus was right about being tall and muscular. He made even Vince look small. He had his blond hair in a skinhead style and had stubble and some very impressive muscles.

Gus shook TJ's hand. He had a very firm handshake. TJ gave Gus and Gretchen his present and the five of them stood and talked for a while. It was just like the old days.

But one person was missing.

Ashley Spinelli slumped in the sofa. She was at her friends' engagement party, and had brought along her fiancé, Byron Marshall. But ever since they got in, all Byron did was flirt with the other girls. He never once noticed that she was there.

Ashley had had enough. She was sick of Byron. She was going to call a cab and go home.

She grabbed her coat and her purse, and without a word to Byron left. She'd have to find Gretchen or Gus first and thank them. It would look rude if she didn't.

After looking everywhere, she found Gretchen and Gus standing in a circle with Mikey, Vince and two women she didn't recognise.

And with them was TJ. It had to be. She'd recognise that backwards red cap anywhere.

She couldn't believe it. After disappearing without a trace when they were fourteen, he had the nerve to just show up ten years later, laughing and joking with the old gang like everything was OK!

Well, she wasn't going to let him ruin her life again.

She walked towards the group, her head held high. "Gretchen, Gus," she said, trying desperately not to look at TJ. "I'm sorry, but I'm gonna head home now."

"But you can't!" Gus said. "Look who's here!"

"No, Gus, really, I don't want to"-

TJ had his back to her and was talking to Vince and the blonde girl. He hadn't seen her.

Gus didn't listen. "TJ! TJ, look over here! There's someone who wants to see you!"

Ashley cringed. Hopefully TJ wouldn't recognise her.

TJ turned around and his brown eyes widened.

TJ smirked. "You wanted to see me?"

Ashley hated how his grin made her nervous. But luckily, she thought of a line she could spin him. "Um yeah, my sister, she loves your comedy shows, so I was just wondering if I could get your autograph for her"-

"Nice try, but I know you don't have a sister, Spinelli." TJ grinned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Spinelli said. Lying to TJ was hard.

"Don't lie to me, Spin. And don't think I've forgotten you." TJ said.

Ashley didn't know whether TJ would have forgotten her or not, but she did think that he might not have been able to recognise her. She was fourteen last time TJ had seen her, but now she was a woman. She had a feminine figure that had curves in all the right places. She'd grown her silky black hair and started wearing dresses, makeup and high heels more. Byron had wanted her to be more feminine.

"I have no idea who you are. You have the wrong person."

"That's funny, seeing as you were asking me to give your sister an autograph a minute ago."

"I really have to go now, goodbye." Ashley walked off hastily.

"Wait!" TJ's voice said, pleadingly. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. Suddenly they were looking each other right in the eyes.

"I'm sorry. I know why you'd lie. I know why you'd hate me. I know why you'd not want to talk to me. But I just want to tell you I'm sorry."

Ashley knew he was talking about that incident ten years ago, where he'd tried to kiss her.

"So. Am I forgiven?"

Ashley thought about everything. Her head told her no, she wasn't to see, talk to or even think about TJ Detweiler again, or she'd just get hurt.

But her heart told her that everyone deserved a second chance. It was probably only an accident. And TJ was too important to her, she couldn't just live her life without him in it.

"Of course you are," Ashley said, flinging her arms around her best friend. As TJ felt Spinelli in his arms, he smiled to himself, breathing in the wonderful scent of her hair and hoping that the moment would last forever.


	7. Her Name's Not Spinelli

Her Name's Not Spinelli

Her Name's Not Spinelli

"So, Spin. We haven't seen each other for ten years. We have a _lot_ of catching up to do."

TJ and Spinelli were in Gretchen and Gus's bathroom. Two best friends that hadn't spoken for ten years needed to catch up, and you couldn't catch up properly in the middle of an engagement party.

"Why did you go, TJ?"

"My dad got transferred. It was a last-minute thing."

"Why didn't you say goodbye?"

"Well, the last thing you said to me before I found out was that you didn't want to see me again. I think that pretty much covered it."

Spinelli smiled. "I'm sorry. I overreacted."

"It's OK. I shouldn't have tried to kiss you anyway. Firstly, we're best friends and second, you were with Byron at the time."

"Yeah." Spinelli nodded. "So, I guess you're a famous comedian now."

"Yup." TJ said, nodding. "But I suppose it's nothing compared to what Gretch did. What exactly did I miss?"

"Well, in high school, Vince dated _all_ of the Ashleys." Spinelli said.

"Really?"

Spinelli nodded. "It was Ashley Q first. Then Ashley T, then Ashley B, and lastly Ashley A. But they've lasted a while. And Vince has kind of made her nice."

"What about Mikey?"

"In senior year, someone spread a rumour that he was gay. So it kinda put girls off him a bit. But he's proved them all wrong. Remember Kurst the Worst from Third Street?" TJ nodded. "Well, he's with her now. And Mikey's made her turn nice as well. I swear, Gretchen should have dated Randall in elementary school, and maybe she could have transformed him."

"Well why Gretchen? Why not you?"

"Because dating Randall would be the grossest thing _ever_!" Spinelli said. TJ laughed.

Ashley Spinelli decided not to tell TJ the truth. That back in fourth grade, there was only one guy she'd date. The guy she'd give the world to date. Things were so simple back then. But then when she was thirteen her stupid parents had to go and ruin everything.

"So you don't have the hots for Randall then," TJ said, grinning.

"No."

"Menlo?"

"No."

"Principal Prickly?"

"No."

"Me?"

"Now you're just getting silly, Teej."

"I'm a stand-up comedian. I get paid to be silly," TJ said, grinning.

Spinelli laughed.

"But you still haven't answered my question," TJ whispered, before he could stop himself. He knew he nearly blew his friendship with Spinelli last time he tried to make a move on her, he didn't want to do it again. But he needed answers. He needed to know where he stood.

"You know the answer," Spinelli whispered back. "The thing is, TJ"-

"There you are, Ashley!" A familiar voice came, interrupting their privacy.

TJ gulped. Standing in the doorway was Byron.

"Come on, we're going home."

"Um- OK. It was nice to see you, TJ."

"You too, Spinelli."

"Her name's not Spinelli." Byron said, his grey eyes gleaming with smugness. "Well- it won't be for that much longer, anyway."

"What do you mean?" TJ asked, confused.

"In three weeks, Ashley will not be called Ashley Spinelli anymore. She will be called Ashley Marshall, as we are getting married."

TJ felt his heart sink and his world fall apart. Byron started showing off the ring that was on Spinelli's- _Ashley's_- finger- bragging about how expensive and rare it was.

TJ didn't get it. Why was Spinelli with Byron? Sure, he was rich. He could get her a diamond ring. He could get her a pony. He could get her a huge mansion like the one they were in. But he couldn't love her like TJ did.

No-one loved Spinelli half as much as TJ did.


	8. The Truth

In this chapter, we find out more about Spinelli's feelings for TJ and Spinelli's feelings for Byron

**In this chapter, we find out more about Spinelli's feelings for TJ and Spinelli's feelings for Byron. Thanks to cherryakabebe, Rockthis and Jayla Starlight for reviewing. Hopefully there'll be more reviews (hint hint). Enjoy DD**

The Truth

TJ returned home with a heavy heart. He couldn't believe it. Spinelli was getting _married_. To _another guy_. Which meant that she had no feelings for TJ. He would only ever be a friend to her. Spinelli loved Byron now, so much they were to be husband and wife.

TJ wished and wished and wished he could get over Spinelli, but he couldn't, no matter how much he tried. Spinelli might have found someone she loved and was happy with. But TJ just couldn't. There was no other girl like Spinelli, and he didn't want to be with anyone else. Spinelli was the only one in his heart.

Ashley and Byron were also at home. And Ashley was also feeling miserable.

"So, I notice you were with that guy from TV who thinks he's funny." Byron said. "What's his name again?"

"TJ Detweiler. And he doesn't think he's funny. He _is _funny."

"Are you kidding? Ashley, his show sucks. You can't possibly like that sort of stuff."

"TJ's my best friend."

Byron raised his eyebrows. "I don't trust him, Ashley."

"What do you mean, you don't trust him?"

"Exactly that."

"But"-

"I saw the way he was looking at you, Ashley. It's pretty obvious he has a little more than friendship on his mind."

"Byron, me and TJ are _just friends_. Nothing more than that."

"Well, just to be safe, I don't want you to see him."

"WHAT?! But that's so unfair! You were flirting with all the other girls tonight, just like you do every other time we go out, and you don't even let me _talk_ to my _best friend?!_"

"Life is unfair, Ashley. Deal with it." Byron said, and he stormed out.

Spinelli burst into tears. Ever since she started dating Byron, her tough rep had slowly but surely crumbled. She never used to cry. Or maybe it was nothing to do with her rep. Maybe it was because she was happy before Byron came along.

Spinelli sighed as she remembered exactly why she couldn't dump him.

"_Pookie, can we talk to you?" Flo Spinelli asked her thirteen-year-old daughter._

"_Sure mom, but be quick. Wrestling starts in five minutes," Spinelli replied. She had no idea that what her parents were about to tell her would change her life forever._

"_You see, sweetie…" Bob Spinelli began. "There's always been an ancient tradition in our family where we arrange marriages for our children."_

"_Marriage? That's great Dad, but I'm thirteen. I'm not even old enough to get married yet." _

_Flo sighed. "Not yet, but one day you will be. And the point is, we've already arranged a marriage _for_ you."_

"_But I don't even _want_ to get married!" Spinelli protested. This was a lie- there was one guy she wanted to marry, the same guy who she'd been in love with since kindergarten. But she didn't want to marry someone her parents picked out for her._

"_Well, you're going to have to, aren't you?" Flo said sharply, sick of her daughter's protesting. _

"_What, just because it's some dumb family tradition?"_

"_We believe it's the best way for you to find a good partner and keep the family line going." Bob explained more gently. "There are a lot of dodgy guys out there, Ashley. Ones who'll hurt you, treat you bad, break your heart."_

"_No worries, Dad. If anyone breaks my heart, I'll break their face!" Spinelli said. She couldn't _believe _the cheek of her dad. Telling her she couldn't take on a guy! Ha. She'd show him._

"_It's not like that." Bob said. "We've already got the whole thing arranged. The deal's been on since you were a baby."_

"_Deals can be unarranged." Spinelli pointed out. She thought that was pretty obvious._

"_Well, the last eight generations of this family have had to do it, why should you be any different?" Flo said. Her marriage to Bob was arranged, and you never caught her complaining._

"_BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MARRY SOME JERK I'VE NEVER MET!!" Spinelli roared._

"_Calm down, pookie." Bob said soothingly. "You _have_ met him- but you were just a couple of months old, so you won't remember it. And if it makes you feel any better, we can contact his parents, and arrange for you to meet him again this weekend. You might like him."_

_Spinelli protested all week, but no one would listen to her. She couldn't tell any of her friends. If she told _anyone, _her secret would become their school's latest gossip, and everyone would ridicule Spinelli and say that her parents had made her have an arranged marriage because she was too ugly to get a guy for herself. She could imagine the Ashleys squealing with laughter about the matter._

_There was one person she trusted entirely and wanted to tell more than anyone else. But sadly, that was also the person who she was in love with. It would hurt too much to tell him._

_The week went on, and on Thursday, Flo took Spinelli to the mall to look for a dress._

"_Why do I have to wear a dress anyway?" Spinelli asked Flo for the thousandth time._

"_Because this is an important date." Flo said._

_Four hours later, after trying on every dress in the mall, which was torture for Spinelli, Flo had found the 'perfect' dress._

_Spinelli thought it was hideous._

_Not only was it a dress._

_It was a _pink_ dress._

_And it was the most ghastly thing Spinelli had ever seen._

_Friday came and went and the big day, Saturday, arrived, quicker than Spinelli would have liked. She would have preferred it if Saturday had never rolled around. _

_Bob and Flo, Spinelli's parents, had spent the whole morning cleaning the house from top to bottom. Spinelli had never seen it looking so clean. Then they had rushed up the stairs to change into their best clothes and sat on the sofa together, feeling a range of different emotions. In Bob's case, excitement, in Flo's case, nerves, and in Spinelli's case, anger._

_They were all thinking different thoughts: Bob was thinking,_ My little girl's going to meet the guy she's gonna marry! I can't wait!

_Flo was thinking,_ I do hope his parents like us. Is the house clean enough? Maybe I should polish the stairs again…

_And Spinelli was thinking_, _What _a waste of my time. This guy's gonna be such an idiot. Why did I have to be part of a family with dumb traditions like this?

_But all their thoughts were interrupted by the chime of the doorbell…_

"_They're here," Flo said._

Well done, Mom. You're a genius_, Spinelli thought bitterly._

"_I'll go let them in," Bob said, getting up from the sofa. He opened the door to find the well-dressed family of three standing on the doorstep._

_Spinelli couldn't see anything from the living room. She could just hear her dad's voice and some unfamiliar voices._

"_Good afternoon, Mr. Spinelli."_

"_Oh, please, do call me Bob."_

"_Could you get me a coffee, please?"_

"_Sure. How do you like it, Mrs. Marshall?"_

"_Oh, please, do call me Karen. Two sugars, no milk."_

"_OK, what about you, Mr. Marshall?"_

"_Oh, please, do call me Paul. And I'm fine, thanks."_

"_Good, now let's go in, my wife and daughter are dying to meet you!"_

_Spinelli made a sick face. She would _rather_ die than meet the loser her parents had picked out for her to marry and his family._

"_Hi, Mrs. Spinelli."_

"_Oh, please, do call me Flo."_

"_Look at Ashley!" Karen Marshall cooed. "What a grown-up girl! You were still in diapers when I last saw you, Ashley."_

"_Oh, please, do call me Spinelli." Spinelli said, using the same tone as the four adults- false and overly sweet. She couldn't stand people who called her Ashley._

"_This is Byron, our son." Paul Marshall said, gesturing towards a guy who nodded in Spinelli's direction. Spinelli was pleasantly surprised, he was quite hot, apart from his hair, which was styled into a quiff, which, in Spinelli's opinion, looked ridiculous. Apart from the hair, he wasn't unfortunate looking, but Spinelli still couldn't picture living the rest of her life with him._

"_Oh. Hi." Spinelli said, in a tone of voice that made it clear that she was not happy about this arrangement._

_Byron, on the other hand, was looking very interested in Spinelli. _

"_Byron, Ashley, why don't you go into the back yard and get to know each other a little more?" Flo said._

_Karen nodded. "After all, you will be spending the rest of your lives together."_

_The four adults howled with laughter like it was the most hilarious joke in the world. Which it really wasn't. Sulking, Spinelli showed Byron to the back yard._

"_Not bad," Byron said critically. "Ours is about twice the size of this. We have a gardener who waters all our plants three times a week. We grow our own apples."_

"_Good for you," Spinelli said, hoping to get it into his thick skull that she didn't care how rich he was or how big his back yard was._

_They talked for a few hours. Byron was OK, but he had no charisma, no charm, and Spinelli didn't feel any chemistry between them. _

"_So- I guess that seeing as we're getting married and everything, we should start dating." Byron said, towards the end of his visit. "Y'know- just to get used to each other and all."_

"_Whatever," Spinelli said._

"_Great! So you're my girlfriend now," Byron said, and he kissed Spinelli on the lips._

_It was only Spinelli's second kiss, so she wasn't exactly experienced, but she still knew it was the grossest thing _ever_. Not at all like her first kiss, which happened in fourth grade, and was possibly the best thing that had ever happened to her._

Spinelli sighed. Why did she come from a family where arranged marriages were a family tradition?

Why couldn't she just marry whoever she wanted? Did her parents not trust her to make the right decision? Did they think she was stupid? Why couldn't she just be happy?

There was only one way she would be happy.

If she could be with TJ Detweiler.


	9. The Restaurant

The Restaurant

It was a week before Spinelli and Byron's wedding. Spinelli and TJ hadn't seen each other since Gretchen and Gus's engagement party. But for both of them, talking to the other one would hurt too much. It would hurt for TJ because he loved Spinelli, but Spinelli was marrying Byron and therefore didn't love him.

Or so he thought. It hurt for Spinelli too, because she wanted TJ, the man she loved and had done for years, but was stuck with Byron.

It was the one thing Byron said that Spinelli agreed with: life was unfair. Very, very unfair indeed.

And now, TJ was out for a meal with his parents, his older sister Becky and her husband: it was his mom's birthday and the restaurant was her favourite.

Spinelli was also out for a meal, with Byron and both of their families. But what they didn't know was that they were at the same restaurant.

"I do believe we couldn't have picked out a better husband for our precious little girl," Flo said, as Byron was eyeing up the waitress.

Spinelli sighed. "I'm not exactly a little girl anymore, mom. I'm twenty-four."

"You'll always be our little girl, no matter how old you get," Bob said, and then all four parents started crying.

Spinelli found herself sat in a restaurant with her blubbing parents and soon-to-be in-laws, and her creepy, flirtatious soon-to-be husband. Spinelli needed time to herself.

"I'm going getting some fresh air." Spinelli announced. No one seemed to realise or care, so Spinelli got up and left.

She went out of the back door of the restaurant and sat on a bench outside by herself. It was cold, but she was too deep in thought to care. She stared up at the moon and thought to herself. About her life. Some kind of life. This time next week, she'd be married to a guy she didn't even like, let alone love.

What kind of life was this?

Meanwhile, back in the restaurant, TJ was looking around, when he saw Spinelli's mom and dad. He smiled- he and Spinelli had spent so much time in and out of each others' houses when they were kids, Spinelli's parents were like second parents to him.

He felt sick, however, as he realised who was sitting with them- Byron, and a man and woman who could only be his parents.

Even though they were there, he _had _to talk to Bob and Flo. He hadn't seen them for years, and he'd only today realised how much he'd missed them.

"I'm just going over to say hi to Mr. and Mrs. Spinelli," TJ said.

"Oh. Give them our regards," Mr. Detweiler said.

"Spinelli's getting married soon, isn't she?" Becky said.

TJ nodded grimly.

Becky sighed and smiled fondly. "Weird. Doesn't seem like two minutes ago since you were both three foot nine, running around our house and breaking everything. And now here she is getting married."

"Yeah." TJ said, hoping to change this topic. He got up from his seat.

"You know something? I always thought she was going to marry you." Becky said.

TJ said nothing, he just walked away. Bob and Flo smiled at him warmly when he got to their table.

"TJ! My goodness, I haven't seen you for years!" Flo said.

"Well, unless you count TV," Bob chuckled.

TJ grinned. "Hey, Mr. and Mrs. S."

"Is this the boy on television, Flo?" Byron's mom asked.

Flo nodded.

"How do you know him?" Byron's mom asked.

"He's Ashley's best friend," Flo said fondly.

Bob smiled. "Yeah. They were inseparable when they were younger."

"TJ lived just a few houses away from us, and he came round for dinner so much he was like a son to us…"

Byron and his father were looking very angry and jealous.

"So TJ, you going to the wedding on Saturday?" Flo asked.

"I wasn't invited."

"That's a shame. But of course you can come, son! We can't have Ashley's wedding without you there!" Bob said. "Where is Ashley, anyway? She was here a minute ago."

"She said something about getting some air. She'll probably be back in a minute." Byron's mom said.

"OK. Say, are they your parents over there?" Flo asked.

TJ nodded. "It's mom's birthday. They told me to give you their regards, by the way."

"Tell them Bob and I are thinking of them, too. The years sure have been kind to them. And is that _Becky _over there?! Good lord, she's grown up since last time I saw her."

"Yeah, she's married, and she's having a baby in August."

"Well, wish her the best, will you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"What about you, TJ?" Bob asked. "Anyone special in your life?"

"Nah. I'm more of a career guy." TJ lied.

"It's a shame, that not everyone can get a partner for themself." Byron said, with a hint of smugness in his voice.

Byron's father nodded. "Yeah. I think it would be easier for _everyone _to have arranged marriages."

"It sure would save you the loneliness," Byron's mom smiled.

"Yeah." Flo agreed. The four middle-aged people and Byron were now talking as if TJ wasn't there. "Ashley wasn't so sure about an arranged marriage at first, but I know it's the best thing for her."

"Yeah, like you said earlier Flo," Bob said, "We couldn't have picked out a better husband for our angel!"

Bob and Flo were now smiling fondly at Byron, the way they had been smiling at TJ a minute ago.

TJ couldn't believe his ears. So the whole thing was an arranged marriage. He smiled to himself, there was still hope! Spinelli might not truly love Byron. She might have feelings for someone else.

She might have feelings for him.

It was crazy, but it could be true. There was only one thing left to do- find Spinelli and tell her how he felt.

TJ suddenly wondered why he'd been so nervous about telling Spinelli his true feelings for her before. Now it was like they just had to get out of him.

He headed to the car park at the back of the restaurant to find Spinelli sitting on a bench, writing a letter, tears running down her cheeks.

"Spin!"

Spinelli looked up, but didn't smile at TJ.

"Why are you crying?" TJ asked, sitting down next to Spinelli and wrapping his arms around her.

Spinelli didn't reply. She just wriggled away from him.

"Spin?"

"Just leave me alone, TJ!" Spinelli said. She got up and marched off, leaving the letter she'd been writing behind her.

TJ picked up the letter and called after her, "Spinelli! You left your…" he glanced at the letter. "Suicide note?"

TJ gulped as he read the letter:

_To the world,_

_I am so fed up of you that I have decided to take my own life. Although it's not exactly a life I live here. A real life is happiness and freedom. I don't exactly have freedom. I'm being forced to marry a man I don't even love. That's not what I call freedom. _

_And he doesn't make me happy. There is only one man who makes me happy. The one I am in love with. That man is_

And that was obviously where Spinelli got up to when TJ came along. TJ sighed, he wished he could have known who it was that Spinelli did love.

TJ saw Spinelli walking swiftly away. Who Spinelli loved didn't matter now. TJ _couldn't_ let her kill herself.

Spinelli walked on. Hearing TJ's footsteps behind her she broke into a run. She ran and she ran as fast as she could, until she reached her destination- the multi-storey car park.

"STOP!!"

Spinelli felt strong hands on her shoulders. TJ's strong hands. They turned her around.

"What the hell were you thinking of doing, Spinelli?" TJ said angrily.

"You wouldn't understand, TJ. So stay out of this."

"Stay out of it? My best friend wants to kill herself! I can't let you be so stupid!"

"If I want to kill myself, then that's up to me. It's my life, not yours. You don't understand. So don't try to stop me."

"Spinelli," TJ whispered. "I know you don't love Byron."

"You- you do?" Spinelli said.

TJ nodded. "He's the reason for all this, isn't he?"

Spinelli nodded.

"Does he ever hurt you in any way?"

"Well. He slaps me sometimes. And he's just basically useless and lazy and possessive. But I don't really mind about any of that. All I mind about is that I don't love him, and it doesn't feel right when we're together." Not like the way it felt now, alone with TJ, even though she was on the verge of suicide. Part of her was glad that TJ had cared so much and tried to stop her from climbing up the stairs of that multi-storey car park and jumping from the top.

"But- I have to marry him anyway," Spinelli said.

"No you don't." TJ said.

"I have to. My family are making me."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Just think about it, Spinelli. You're a smart girl, so you have a smart head. And your head is telling you to go along with what your family want you to do. But your heart is telling you otherwise. And you're also smart enough to be able to realise whether you're ruled by your heart or your head- before it's too late."

Spinelli mulled all of this over in her head. Maybe TJ was right.

"Come on," TJ said. "Let's go back. You must be freezing."

It was a freezing night, and the rain was pouring down thick and fast. TJ saw Spinelli shivering, he draped his jacket around her shoulders. She weakly mumbled a thank you and then they walked back to the restaurant.

TJ looked at his beautiful best friend walking by his side. She would never know how he truly felt about her.

Unless he did something about it.

But she needed to make up her mind for herself. He didn't want to pressure her into anything. She needed to make the right choice. Do what she thought was best. It was her life, after all.

All TJ wanted, all he ever had wanted, was for Ashley Spinelli to be happy. Whether it was with him or not.


	10. Confession

Spinelli didn't know what to do

**OK guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while. And short chapter I know. I'm going to try and finish this before next week, because I'm going on holiday then.**

Confession

Spinelli didn't know what to do. TJ's speech about her head and her heart had just made her even more confused. She understood the first part- Byron was her head, and TJ was her heart- well, TJ didn't know that, but it was still true. But she had no idea how to choose.

She could imagine the looks of disappointment on her family's faces if she chose not to marry Byron. She would hate that. She could imagine how smug her older brother, Joey would be- he followed the family tradition of having an arranged marriage, and so their parents would favour him even more than they did already. Spinelli could imagine her parents shake their heads at her and saying, "Why can't you just be more like Joey?" The thought made her sick.

She hated being compared to Joey. But on the other hand, she couldn't stand Byron. She couldn't imagine being married to him. He would expect her to do everything he ordered, and Byron was a perfectionist, if she didn't get it just right Byron might hit her again. For all she knew the violence could get worse, he could end up killing her. Or maybe he'd try to kill her, and she'd end up killing him trying to defend herself, and spend the rest of her life in a jail cell. The thought also made her sick.

The decision hung over her like a rain-cloud. It made her miserable for the rest of the week.

On the night of her hen-party, Spinelli didn't feel like partying- she was still glum. Her, Gretchen, Ashley A and Kurst (although they were both quite nice now, this time ten years ago she would have thought it an extremely weird combination) were sitting in a bar. Spinelli was ordering drink after drink after drink in hope that the drinks would take away her sorrows, take away the weight on her shoulders that was the awful decision she was faced with.

It didn't work.

Gretchen was smart- hey, she invented the time machine- and she _knew_ something was up with Spinelli. So, as soon as Kurst and Ashley announced they were going to the bathroom, she decided to find out exactly what it was.

"Is everything alright, Spinelli?"

"What do you think," Spinelli said sourly.

"Well, what is the problem?"

"I'm being forced to marry a jerk I don't even love."

"What do you mean, forced? You don't have to marry him if you don't want to, Spinelli. It's entirely your decision."

"I mean forced, Gretchen. It's an arranged marriage. My parents are _making_ me marry him."

Gretchen was shocked. Spinelli and Byron had always seemed so… _happy_. She couldn't believe that they didn't even love each other, they were just getting married because their parents were making them.

"But- why would they do that?"

"Some dumb family tradition."

Spinelli was completely unaware that she was telling Gretchen everything. Only her, TJ, Byron, her family and Byron's family knew about it, and Spinelli had never liked the idea of other people knowing her marriage was arranged. But she was so drunk, she had no control over what she was saying.

Her next words proved that.

"I don't even _want _to marry Byron. I don't even love him. I'm in love with TJ."

Gretchen's jaw dropped. So it was true then. She'd always known that TJ had feelings for Spinelli, even though he'd always insisted to the people from middle school who thought they were dating that they were just friends. But now Spinelli was openly admitting to having feelings back? Gretchen was so gobsmacked she couldn't even think of what else to ask Spinelli. But as a scientist, and as Spinelli's friend, she had some more investigation to do.

"Um- how long have you had feelings for him?"

"Since kindergarten."

"Are you seeing him? You know- secretly."

"Nope." Spinelli sighed. "The guy doesn't know I'm in love with him. No one does. Oh god Gretchen, _please_ don't tell him. I'd die if he knew. He doesn't feel anything for me."

"How do you know that? Do you have proof?"

"I just do, Gretchen."

"But _how_?"

"I just do!"

Gretchen sighed and thought of something else. "So what are you going to do? Marry Byron?"

"Well, that's the thing," Spinelli said. "TJ knows I'm in love with _someone_. He just doesn't know it's him. And he made this big speech about having to choose between my head and my heart. My head is telling me I should do what my family wants me to do and marry Byron. If I married him, you know, he's rich and everything, I'd never have to worry about debt or anything for the rest of my life. But I hate him, and I always have done. Because he's not TJ, Gretchen. He's just not TJ."

"You don't seem happy at all, Spinelli."

It was in that moment Spinelli made up her mind, even though she was completely drunk.

"I'm not. But even if I don't marry Byron, I still won't be. I want TJ, but I can't have him. He doesn't love me back. If I don't marry Byron, I'll have no money and no family, and I still won't be with the one I love, because I know that TJ doesn't have feelings for me."

_Well_, Gretchen thought. _We'll see about that._

Gretchen realised then that the whole thing rested on her shoulders. TJ's happiness. Spinelli's happiness. Them admitting their feelings to each other. It was up to her now.


	11. Gretchen Explains All

**This is the chapter where most of the explaining is done, so it might be slightly confusing. Hopefully you'll understand it. **

**Wow, two chapters in a night!! I hope that makes up for me not updating for a few days. Enjoy.**

Gretchen Explains All

"Alright, I'm coming!" The cranky voice from the other side of the door yelled.

TJ Detweiler opened the door, wearing only a T-Shirt and boxer shorts. He didn't have his cap on and his brown hair stood up at all ends.

"Gretchen, it's seven thirty in the morning. I was doing stand-up last night and didn't get in till two. This better be good." TJ said.

"Well TJ, as a matter of fact, I'm here to talk to you about an issue of great importance."

Then TJ remembered something. It was the big day. "Aren't you supposed to be at Spinelli's house, getting ready? You're one of the bridesmaids, aren't you?"

Gretchen nodded. "But that can wait. TJ, this is _important_."

Gretchen and TJ sat on TJ's sofa.

"I need to talk to you about Spinelli."

TJ sighed. All he wanted to do was forget about Spinelli. Forget about Byron. Forget about the fact that in a few hours they would be husband and wife.

"Well, I don't"-

"Last night, we were at the bar and Spinelli- told me something."

"What, that she wanted to use the restroom?"

"Don't try and be funny, TJ. This is serious."

"Well, I'm too tired to be serious."

"Just shut up and listen, TJ! Do you want Spinelli to marry Byron?"

TJ's eyes widened.

"Tell the truth," Gretchen said, knowing what the answer would be.

"No," TJ whispered.

"Well, I have some information for you. I believe that Spinelli told you she didn't love Byron, but she loved another man?"

TJ nodded.

"Well- last night she revealed who that man is."

"Good for her," TJ said glumly. He didn't know why he felt so miserable. He had tried to tell himself that Spinelli deserved to be happy, and if he couldn't make her happy, then he would be OK with any other guy that could. But having that kind of attitude was easier said than done. He still wanted Spinelli, even though he knew he had no chance. He didn't want to know who Spinelli was in love with. It would hurt too much.

"It's you, TJ." Gretchen suddenly said.

TJ was gobsmacked. Was Gretchen playing a trick on him? Did she have a hangover from last night? Did she have the right TJ?

Gretchen carried on. "She's been in love with you since kindergarten. But she thinks that you don't feel the same way. She thinks you don't love her back, and because of that, she has to marry Byron, or she'll have no one."

"But… how do you know she was telling the truth?"

"Would she really lie about a thing like that?"

"It was her hen-night. She would have been drunk."

"Exactly. When you're drunk, you confess things you never would have if you were sober."

"So- what's your point, Gretchen?"

"Spinelli is in love with you. She thinks you don't love her- and don't start the 'just friends' nonsense, I know that you've always had feelings for her. So because she thinks you don't love her and she doesn't want to be lonely, she's marrying Byron, even though she doesn't love him and is unhappy with him. And if you don't make a move right now, then she'll marry Byron and that's it, every chance you ever had with Spinelli is gone."

"But- I _did_ try to make a move on Spinelli." TJ said. He bit his lip remembering it. "Remember how when I moved out ten years ago we never kept in touch? Well, that was because the day I moved out, I… I tried to kiss her. But… she pushed me away and said she never wanted to see me again. Sure Gretchen, drinking can make you fess up to stuff- but it also messes with your head. Spinelli doesn't see me as anything more than a friend."

Gretchen sighed, TJ was just not getting it. "But don't you see? Spinelli probably didn't want to fall any deeper in love with you! She was already dating Byron, she already knew one day she'd have to marry him, she knew that you couldn't be together. She didn't want to get her hopes up- or yours."

"But if you say she knew we couldn't be together, then we still can't be together now."

"That's what she thought. What you said to her about choosing between her head and her heart put things into prospective for her. She now knows that she doesn't have to marry Byron just because her parents want her to. But now all that troubles her is what decision she's going to make. Well- she decided last night. And that's why I wanted to talk, TJ. She's going ahead with the wedding. And it's only because she thinks you don't have feelings for her."

"So you're saying that if I don't tell Spinelli how I feel before the wedding she'll marry Byron and be stuck with him forever?"

Gretchen nodded.

"I dunno. Spinelli might still choose to marry Byron. And I don't want her to think I'm an idiot."

"TJ, look me in the eye and answer this question truthfully. Do you love Spinelli?"

TJ looked Gretchen in the eye. He hated lying. "Yes," he replied. "From the bottom of my heart."

"Then, you'd want her to be happy. Byron can't make her happy. You can. But only if you tell her how you feel."

TJ smiled, trust Gretchen to sort everything out, to be the fairy godmother. "OK. Thanks Gretchen. I've made up my mind now. I know _exactly _what I'm going to do."


	12. The Wedding

By the way, I don't actually know exactly how marriage ceremonies work

**By the way, I don't actually know exactly how marriage ceremonies work. I've only been to a few weddings, and I sat near the back at those weddings, so I couldn't really hear anything. And I'm definitely not a vicar. So yeah, sorry to all the vicars reading this who know the wedding thing inside out if I've made a few mistakes. **

**I hope I've made that clear and I don't want to get loads of reviews saying 'Urgh, you made loads of mistakes in the marriage ceremony and that means you're stupid and the story stinks!!' if I **_**do**_** make mistakes. Feel free to point my mistakes out to me but please do it nicely. **

**Rant over lol. Enjoy the chapter everyone!!**

The Wedding

The organ player started to play 'Here Comes The Bride', as Spinelli walked down the aisle, looking beautiful in a long white dress with her black hair in an elegant bun. Her father was stood next to her, dressed in a suit, his arm linked in hers, ready to give her away. Give her away to someone who she didn't love, who probably didn't love her and she could never be truly happy with.

Behind Spinelli were her bridesmaids- Gretchen and a couple of her female cousins, wearing pastel blue dresses, looking gorgeous. Spinelli could see a lot of familiar faces sitting in the pews- Vince and Ashley A, Mikey and Kurst, Gus, and some other people from all three schools she'd attended- including Miss Finster, who was a very old lady by now. Miss Finster was a very strict teacher at Third Street School, and a close friend of Spinelli's parents.

On the very front pews were Spinelli and Byron's families. All of Byron's family had the same blond hair, tall, skinny figure and pointy faces. And Spinelli's family- her big brother Joey and his wife, and her mom, taking her mother of the bride role very seriously by buying herself a huge, flowery hat.

Then at the front of the church was Byron himself, with one of his friends who he'd chosen to be best man, and the vicar, who had a white beard and was holding a Bible.

Spinelli got to the front of the church. Byron smiled at her and Spinelli gave him a small smile back, but she didn't feel like smiling. It was her wedding day. It was meant to be the happiest day of her life. But it was anything but that.

Here she was, at the front of a church, about to promise to some guy she didn't even love that she would love him forever.

Maybe they could get a divorce, but Byron would still be entitled to everything Spinelli had, and it could get messy- Spinelli didn't want to end up in court.

"We are gathered here today in holy matrimony to celebrate the marriage of Byron Marshall and Ashley Spinelli."

And so the ceremony went on. They sang a few hymns and exchanged the rings, until they'd got up to the crucial part: the I do's.

"Do you, Byron Marshall, take Ashley Spinelli to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Byron said, smiling at Spinelli.

"Do you, Ashley Spinelli, take Byron Marshall to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Spinelli bit her lip. "I do," she said. _If I'm stuck with Byron till death, here's to hoping I die early_, Spinelli thought. But in a minute she wouldn't be Spinelli. She'd be Ashley Marshall.

Yuck.

"If anyone knows of any reason why these two may not be wed, you should speak now or forever hold your piece." **A/N- that's where the title comes from D.**

It was that very moment the back door of the church flew open. "Stop the wedding!" A familiar voice cried out, and Spinelli smiled, a real smile this time.

Wearing a backwards red baseball cap with a suit was a look only TJ could pull off.


	13. Happily Ever After?

Final chapter guys

**Final chapter guys!! :D I hope you enjoyed this story, and a big thank you to everyone who reviewed, and all the people who were so supportive right from the beginning.**

**So, will TJ and Spinelli get their happy ever after? Read on to find out!!**

Happily Ever After?

Byron screwed up his face in disgust. "What are _you_ doing here?" He said to TJ.

"Because, over the past twenty years, I've been an idiot," TJ said. He wasn't saying it to Byron though- he was looking directly into Spinelli's eyes, and she was looking back.

"We know you're an idiot already, but it doesn't mean you can interrupt my wedding, you rude excuse of a man," Byron said, but no one was listening to him. Everyone was looking curiously at TJ, wondering why he had interrupted the wedding so dramatically, like they did in soap operas.

"I've been an idiot, Spinelli, because I never told you how I really felt about you," TJ said. "All these years I've been in love with you, and all these years I've been too chicken to tell you."

Everyone in the church was reacting in different ways. Spinelli was gobsmacked; she never in a million years would have thought TJ had feelings for her. TJ was worried; did Spinelli really feel the same way about him, would this ruin their friendship forever? Byron was angry; how dare that stupid guy in the red hat interrupt his wedding and try to steal his future wife? Gretchen was pleased; her plan had worked and there was a high chance of her best friends having the happy ending they deserved. Gus, Mikey and Vince were looking at each other knowingly; they'd always thought that TJ and Spinelli liked each other. And the friends and relatives of Byron who didn't know TJ and Spinelli were wondering what the heck was going on, who this mysterious wedding crasher was and whether Byron and Spinelli were going to get married after all.

Spinelli was too shocked to say anything, so TJ did more talking. "I _know_ that you don't love Byron, and"-

"What!" Byron interrupted. "That's insane! And I demand that _someone _gets this guy arrested!"

"SHUT UP BYRON!!" Spinelli yelled at the top of her voice, and everyone stared at her. "Look, if it was one of those girls you flirted with at Gretchen and Gus's party that just came in, you wouldn't mind, would you?"

"But he's saying that you don't love me, and that's not on, who does he think he is?"

"He's my best friend!"

"He's trying to steal you from me!" Byron yelled angrily.

"He can't steal me from you, Byron," Spinelli said, and TJ gulped. Spinelli was going to choose Byron. She was going to yell at him just like she did the last time he'd tried to make a move on her. And maybe this time their friendship wouldn't be repaired.

"Because if he was going to steal me from you, it would mean I was yours in the first place," Spinelli yelled. "And yeah, maybe I was your girlfriend, maybe you were gonna marry me, but you would never have had my heart. Because ever since kindergarten, my heart has belonged to TJ Detweiler and no one else!"

TJ almost passed out. So it was true. Gretchen wasn't lying. Spinelli felt the same way about him.

Spinelli looked deep into TJ's eyes and whispered, "I love you TJ."

"I love you too," TJ said, and then they were kissing, and for both of them it was the most amazing feeling in the world. It was like they were meant to be together.

They must have been kissing for at least a minute when Byron said, "Can we please just get back to the wedding?"

He sounded so stupid that Spinelli burst out laughing.

"Why are you laughing at me?" Byron demanded.

"Because you think after the only man I've ever loved comes in, says he's in love with me and kisses me, that I'm going to marry _you_." Spinelli said bitterly, putting her arms around TJ's neck.

Bob Spinelli stood up. "But you _have_ to marry Byron!" He said.

Flo stood up too. "Yes, it's a family tradition!"

"WELL IT'S A DUMB TRADITION!!" Spinelli said. "DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR FAMILY DID IT, I'M GONNA DO IT AS WELL? JUST COZ YOU WANT ME TO? WHAT ABOUT WHAT _I_ WANT? DO YOU REALLY THINK I WANT TO WASTE MY LIFE MARRYING A JERK I DON'T EVEN KNOW? I WANT TO MARRY TJ!! I'M IN LOVE WITH HIM! BUT YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT I WANT, SO WHY SHOULD I DO WHAT YOU WANT?"

Spinelli couldn't believe she'd actually said all that. She'd never really realised that until today. So what if she lost touch with her family. She could make a new family with TJ. If her parents really loved her then they'd let her marry whoever she wanted to. If they were disappointed, it wasn't her problem.

"Because we brought you into this world, Ashley Spinelli, and for that you should have some respect for us," Flo said angrily.

"Well, to be honest, I'd rather have not been brought into the world at all than not be with TJ," Spinelli said.

TJ put his arm around Spinelli's shoulders and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "You look beautiful, Spin." He whispered softly in her ear.

She looked up at him and beamed.

"I'm sorry, Spinelli." TJ said. "I should have told you earlier. But I was too chicken."

"I suppose you tried that time when we were fourteen- but I took it the wrong way," Spinelli said. "And please don't think I wasn't pleased, because I was- I just didn't want to get hurt. Coz my mom and dad were making me marry Byron, so if I fell any deeper in love with you, then I would have had a broken heart for the rest of my life, because I couldn't have been with you."

"But we_ can_ be together now," TJ said. "And we don't have to be scared anymore. But only if you want to."

"There's nothing I want more," Spinelli replied, smiling.

There was a chorus of 'awws' from all around the church. Obviously Spinelli's parents, Byron's family and Byron himself were fuming, but everyone else was really happy that TJ and Spinelli had finally admitted their true feelings for each other and were going to be together. Miss Finster was in tears; she thought the whole thing was beautiful, especially as she'd watched both of them grow up and known right from the good old days that they were meant to be together.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" TJ said. He got hold of Spinelli's hand and together they ran back up the aisle and out of the church, where a motorbike was waiting for them.

"Hey, I didn't know you drove a motorbike!" Spinelli said, in awe.

TJ grinned. "Hey, how else are we supposed to go off into the sunset?"

Spinelli grinned. TJ tossed her a helmet. Once they both had their helmets on, they climbed onto the motorbike, Spinelli behind TJ, holding on tightly to him. She never wanted to let go.

Gretchen, Gus, Mikey, Vince, Ashley A, Kurst, Miss Finster and some other people had followed them out of the church, and they cheered as the motorbike set off, taking TJ and Spinelli to their happily ever after.

**As I was writing the end of this chapter, I was listening to 'Ever Ever After' by Carrie Underwood. You can just imagine TJ and Spinelli running off up the aisle and riding into the sunset while that's playing, can't you? :D**

**Well, that's it! I hope you liked reading this story as much as I liked writing it. And thank you again for reading and reviewing, you guys really are wonderful!! I don't know what I'm going to write next but I have an idea for another Recess fanfic so look out for that :D**

**Love Rach**

**x o x o x o**


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